Trolley-pole catcher.



PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

J. H. WALKER.

TROLLEY POLE CATGHER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A 770/?NE Y S PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

J; H. WALKER.

TROLLEY POLE GATGHBR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6. 1904.

No. 787,810. PATENTED APR. 18, 1905. J. H. WALKER.

- TROLLEY POLE GATGHER.

AP1 LI0ATI0N IILED JUNE 6. 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented April 18, 1905.

ATENT FFICE.

JOHN H. "ALKER, OF LEXINCVION, KICNIUCKY.

TROLLEY-POLE CATCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,810, dated April 18, 1905.

Application filed June 6,1904. Serial No. 211,283.

lie it known that l, .loux ll. Wanknn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lexington. in the county of Fayette and State of l\'entucky, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Pole Catchers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in trolleypole catchers, having for an object to provide a novel construction whereby when the trollav-wheel jumps the wire the pole will be prevented from rising to a perpendicular position: and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the coupling-plate for use in securing the rod to the trolley-pole. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view, parts being removed on about line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a somewhat different construction. Fig. 4 a detail cross-section on about line r -t of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on about line 5 5 of Fig. 4;. Fig. 6 is a side view, and Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view, illustrating the construction employed when the track is formed with a single rail as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. j

By my invention 1 provide a novel construction For preventingtrolley-poles from rising to an objectionable height when the car is in motion and the trolleywheel leaves the wire in order to avoid the objections resulting from rising of the pole to a perpendicular position, such as striking span wires and pulling down or shearing such wires, as well as breaking and bending the trolley-poles and harps and separating the trolley-pole base from the woodwork of the car and the trolley-pole from the socket of the trolley-stand, such objections being common to the use of the ordinary devices in electric railway-cars with the overhead systom of conductor-wires, both in street and rapid transit.

ln addition to avoiding the objections before referred to my invention renders the manipulation of the trolley-pole easy, as the pole can be caught at any angle desired and prevented t'rom pulling too hard against the conductor or other operator manipulating the same when turning the trolley-pole from end to end of the car.

A further advantage results from the time saved in starting cars out of barns and in leaving the cars in the barn or on the track, as it is not necessary to pull the trolley-pole down and tie the cord to the back of the car to break the connection between the comluctor-wire and trolley-wheel, as the trollev-pole can be easily pulled down by the cord a short distance below the conductor-wire and quickly dogged, as will be better understood from the following description.

l urthermore, the invention requires but little head-room space in passing under bridges and through tunnels, and the action of the elements----such as rain, sleet, or snow-will not retard perceptibly the ready action and positive results of the improvement, all of which results are attained by the construction as shown and which I will now describe in detail.

The invention is capable of application to an ordinary trolley-pole stand in connection with the ordinary construction of pole, the latter being pivoted at its lower end to the stand, so it may rise and fall at the upper end and the operation of the detent construction being dependent entirely upon the movement of the trolley-pole upon its main pivot.

1n the construction shown the trolley-pole A has its main pivot at B in connection with a stand C, which latter may be secured to the car in any suitable manner. The turn-table l), which connects with and revolves around a suitable bearing on the base-plate, has a projecting arm E, which is slotted at E to receive the opposite ends of the track-rail F, which latter may be made of any suitable quality of spring or soft steel, is bent between its ends at F, and has its ends F riveted in place within the slots E of the arm of the turn-table. This track l it will be noticed, is made from one continuous bar of desired thickness and width, with its side sections vertically edgewisc and forming a track consisting of two rails, which support the traveler, presently described. The upper edges of the rails of the track are smooth and may preferably be rounded, as shown in Fig. 11:, so the traveler may slide easil y back and forth thereon as the trolley-pole is adjusting itself to the irregular heights of the conduit-wires when in contact with the latter. The lower edges of the rails are toothed at f, forming a rack,

the notches between the teeth inclining slightly in a direction away from the ends F of the rails and toward the outer end F of the track, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings. The rails thus form rack-bars carried by the turn-table and extending outwardly therefrom.

The traveler G comprises a box H, which embraces the track, as shown in Fig. 4:, fits comparatively snugly thereon, and yet in such manner as to permit it to slide back and forth on the track, and such box H consists of the side plates h, the bottom plate 7L, and the top plate 7L2, which latter may preferably be made thicker than the other portions to provide ample wear-surface for sliding upon the upper edge of the track-rail and may be riveted between the upper ends of the side plates it, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. This thickened construction of the top plate 7L2 also provides ample surface for pivoting the hood I to the box H, such hood being pivoted at 1, near its rear upper end, so it may rise and fall at its front end, as will be understood from Fig. 5 of the drawings. This hood I is formed with a top plate 6, which extends over the top of the box H, and the depending side plates 2", which lap alongside the sides of the box H, and at its front lower edge the rocking hood I is provided below the track F with a pawl J, which normally stands clear of the teeth of the track, as shown in full lines, Fig. 5, and can move up into engagement with said teeth, as indicated in clotted lines in said Fig. 5, by the rocking of the hood at 1 from one position to the other, as ill be understood from the full and dotted lines in Fig. 5. This pawl portion J is preferably a cross-plate carried by the rocking hood and shown as integral with side lugs J, which lap alongside the side plates c" of the rocking hood at the lower front end of the latter and riveted thereto, as will be understood from Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings. This pawl or dog J operates as a detent when engaged with the rack of the track to stop the trolley-pole in any desired adjustment in the operation of the invention. In a broad sense the hood constitutes a rocker pivoted in connection with the box or body of the carrier and movable into and out of engagement with the rack-teeth of the track, such operation being controlled by the movements of the trolley-pole on its main pivot, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

In connection with the rocker and the body of the carrier I provide a spring which operates to hold the rocker in both its positions and yet can be released by a sudden operation of the trolley-pole, as will be more fully described hereinafter. In the construction shown the spring comprises a rod K, secured at its lower end at K to the body of the carrier and to the bottom plate. h of the box H and extending up through an opening if in the top plate of the box H and an opening 2' in the top plate of the rocker and provided at its upper end with a boss or enlargement K in the form of a ball, whose rounded surfaces engage above the rounded edge 2" of the top plate 6 of the rocker in the full-line position of the parts shown in Fig. 5 and below such rounded edge 71* in the dotted-line position of the parts, so that the spring will operate to hold the rocker in both positions and at the same time can be caused to permit the adjustment of the rocker from one position tothe other by the forcible operation of the trolley-pole either in pulling the same down by the cord or by the sudden upward movement of the trolley-pole when the latter slips from the conductor-wire. The slide or carrier is connected with the trolley-pole A by the connecting-rods L, pivoted at their lower ends at L in connection with the front end of the rocker and at their upper ends at L in connection with the coupling-plate M (shown in detail in Fig. 2) and having the lugs M for the clips N, which connect such coupling with the pole and the cross-lug whose ends M project beyond the lugs M to receive the coupling-rods L, so the latter may play up and down with out coming in contact with the lugs M in the use of the invention.

In the operation of the invention it Will be noticed that when the trolley-pole is pulled down such action will operate upon the rocker to move the dog J from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 to that shown in full lines in-the same figure, and the spring will hold the rocker in such position so long as the trolley-pole is manipulated in an ordinary manner; but in this position the slide can move back and forth on the track in order to permit the trolley-pole to move up anddown into and out of contact with the conductor-wire, and when the trolley-pole has its wheel in connection with the conductor-wire the slide may move back and forth on the track to permit the trolley-wheel to adjust to the difi'erent heights of the conductor-wire as may be desired. If, however, the Wheel should slip from the cond uctor-wire and be forced quickly upward by its spring, the sudden action of the trolley-pole will force the rocker to the dottedline position indicated in Fig. 5 and the dog will engage with the teeth of the track and hold the trolley-pole in position. If it is desired to hold the trolley-pole at any particular angle, it may be pulled down to a position slightly below such angle and then quickly released, when its sudden operation will throw the dog into engagement with the rack-bar and stop the trolley-pole in such position.

In practice the body of the hood or rocker I may be made of a good quality of soft steel and the dog J and lugs J be preferably made of the best quality of spring-steel. In its operation it will be understood that the trolleypole can be quickly and easily stopped at any angle by permitting such pole to rise quickly, and the dog may be quickly released from the teeth in the lower edges of the rails by pulling the trolley-pole downward, and that by reason of the construction before described the dog will not be drawn into engagement with the teeth in the rails when the pole is adjusting itself to the conduit-wire.

In operation if the track at any time becomes clogged with sleet the trolley-poleinay be quickly pulled down, which will operate to cut or strip all the ice from the track. so the construction may operate properly as desired.

It will be noticed that the operation of the stopping devices depends entirely upon the movement of the trolley-pole on its main pivot lw and that the invention may be applied to any ordinary trolley-pole now in use.

it will be understood that the invention may be carried out with a track having but a single rail, in which event the lug on the turntable would have but a single slot and the single rail would be secured in such slot, as shown in Figs. 3. 6, and T of the drawings.

ln the hereinbefore-described construction it will be noticed that there is provided in connection with the rail and the trolley-pole a carrier connected with the trolley-pole and arranged to be moved by the operation of the trolley-pole on its main pivot and having a dog normally free from engagement with the track-rail, the dog and track-rail being movable relatively. so that the dog may be engaged with the rail and be freed from such rail in the operation of the invention.

In the single-rail construction shown in Figs. 3, 6, and T the lug on the turn-table has but one slot P and the single rail P is socured at one end in said slot, the box or body Q. of the traveler embracingsuch rail P and being adapted at (7 to engage the teeth of the rail and having a spring-rod R, similar in operation to the spring K, for holding the pole A normally out of engagement with the teeth of the rail l Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the turn-table having the projecting lug provided with the slots for the ends of the track-rail, the track-rail consisting of a bar of metal bent at its middle and having its ends secured in the slots of the turn-table lug. the side sections of the track being arranged vertically edgewise and being per rear end to the body or box of the carrier and provided at its lower front end with a dog extending beneath and normally free from engagement with the teeth of the track-rails, the rods connecting such rocker with the trolley-pole, and the spring secured to the body or box of the carrier and having a rounded boss engaging with the rocker, whereby to hold the same yieldingly in both positions, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination in an apparatus substantially as described, of the track extending longitudially from the base of the trolley-pole, the trolley-pole, a carrier slidable along the track and having a rocker provided with a dog movable into and out of engagement with the track and connections between the rocker and the trolley-pole.

3. The combination in an apparatus substantially as described. of the. track, the trolley-pole, a carrier slidable along the track and having a rocker provided with a dog movable into and out of engagement with the track, connections between the rocker and the trolley-pole and means for holding the dog of the rocker nornntlly out of engagement with the track.

a. The combination with the track, and the trolley-pole, of a carrier movable along the track and comprising a box or body embracing the track, and a rocker pivoted to said box or body and provided with a dog movable into and out of engagement with the track, and a spring for yieldingly holding the rocker in its different positions, substantially as set forth.

The combination with the turn-table having the projecting lug, of the track composed of a bar bent forming opposite side sections secured at their free ends to the lug of the turn-table, the trolley-pole, the carrier having a box sliding along the track, and a rocker pivoted to the box and having a dog movable into and out of engagement with the track, connections between the rocker and the pole, and a spring for holding the rocker in its different positions, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the trolley-pole, the turn-table having a projecting lug, the track composed of a bar bent between its ends forming the side sections secured at their ends to the lug of the turn-table, and toothed on their lower edges, the carrier comprising a box or body slidablc along the track, and the rocker pivoted at its upper rear end to the box and provided at'its lower front end with a dog to engage with the teeth of the track-section, the spring secured to the box or body and having a rounded boss engaging with the rocker to secure the same in its different positions and connections between the rocker and the trolley-pole, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

'7. The combination with the track and the trolley-pole, of a carrier movable along the track and comprising a box or body embracing the track, and a rocker pivoted at one end to such box or body and provided at its other end with a dog movable into and out of engagement with the track and connections between the trolley-pole and the rocker.

8. The combination of a trolley-pole having a main pivot at its lower end, a track extending longitudinally from the base of the trolley-pole, a rocker movable longitudinally along said track and provided with a dog which may be set into and out of engagement with the track, and connections between the rocker and the trolley-pole whereby the latter on its sudden upward movement when it has escaped from the wire, will throw the dog into engagement with the track to limit the upward movement of the trolley-pole, substantially as described.

9. The combination with the trolley-pole, and the track, of a carrier sliding on the track and comprising a box or body embracing the track, and a hood pivoted to the box or body and having means for engagement with the track, and a spring operating between the box or body and the hood for securing the latter in its different positions, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination in an apparatus substantially as described, of the carrier box or body, the rocker consisting of a hood pivoted to the box or body, whereby it may rock in connection therewith, and a dog having side lugs secured to the rocking hood, and a spring operating between the box or body and the hood for securing the latter in its difierent positions.

11. The combination of the trolley-pole having a main pivot, the longitudinally-extending track, a sliding carrier movable along the track and having locking means for engagement with the track, to lock the trolley against upward movement on its sudden escape from the wire and means whereby the initial upward movement of the trolley-pole on escaping from the wire will throw such locking means into engagement with the track to lock the trolley-pole against further upward movement.

12. The combination in an apparatus substantially as described, of a trolley-pole having a main pivot at its lower end, a track extending longitudinally from the base of the trolley-pole and provided with a rack, and a dog carried by the trolley-pole, the dog and rack being movable relatively and arranged to be thrown into engagement on the initial upward movement of the trolley-pole on escaping from the wire, whereby to lock the trolley-pole against further upward movement substantially as described.

13. The combination in an apparatus substantially as described, a trolley-pole, the track extending longitudinally from the base of the trolley-pole, and provided with a rack, a dog movable longitudinally along the track and into and out of engagement with the rack, and connections between the dog and the trolley-pole.

14. The combination with the trolley-pole, of a track extending longitudinally from the base of the trolley-pole, a carrier movable along the track, a rocker pivoted at one end to the carrier and movable therewith along the track, and provided at its other end with a dog movable into and out of engagement with the track, and a connecting-rod between the rocker and the trolley-pole.

J NO. H. WALKER.

Witnesses:

GEO. S. SHANKLIN, W'. WoRTHING'roN, JNo. R. ALLEN. 

